Disabled
by NitnatRide
Summary: Riven's sister Cassie, an air fairy unable to perform magic, breaks in Red Fountain with unknown injuries and passes out. What happened to her? With the wizards of the black circle freed, will Cassie be able to protect her new friends?
1. Intruder

**Hey there, readers. Thanks for clicking and giving this a try. If you don't like it, I don't mind. If you think it's good (or bad) enough to merit a review, you know what to do. Just FYI; this fanfic starts right at the start of season 4 (the one with the wizards of the Black Circle), and more or less follows the same plot (because I'm AWFUL at making plotlines). You'll see the start of episode 1 probably in the next chapter. If not, hopefully the one after.**

**Fly on,**

**NitnatRide**

**Chapter 1: Intruder**

**Cassie's POV**

Oh, God, I'm so tired.

_Keep running, Cassie. You have to try and find him._

But this place is huge. Needle in a haystack much?

_If you hadn't used your magic to get here in the first place, you could call to him._

Choice between dying back then or saving my magic? No contest.

My exhaustion has driven me insane at last. I'd wondered how long it would take.

Groaning and panting, I push myself forward, making a mental note that arguing with yourself _**does**_ take energy, which, currently, I have none to spare; I still haven't found him, and the vast number of corridors to explore is stretched and warped in my tired mind. And Red Fountain seems to be deserted. I have actually breached their security – God knows how in my current state – and no one seems to have noticed. The one time where I want to find someone, Sod's Law says that there's _**no**____**one**_ around to ask for him.

And I won't last much longer.

The corridor my shaky legs are stumbling down spreads further and further down, lurching and shifting as my vision begins to fail. Sensing my own weakness, I collapse against the looming warm-red wall, using my hands on the sides to push myself further forward. Soon, the sound of pounding feet swirls in through my haze, along with shouting. I must have tripped something further back and alerted security. About time; now that someone's seen me, I can demand to be taken to him.

As I turn to face the troop of specialists however, my knees buckle. I open my mouth to say his name at least, so they knew who I'm looking for, but all I manage is an automatic sigh of relief as my body gives up, blackness claiming me just before my face is welcomed by the floor.

ЖЖЖ

**Riven's POV**

The guy's and I are relaxing in and Timmy's room. Even Sky and Nabu are here, the former having gained "royal leave" or whatever from his father gave him to spend the weekend with us, and the latter having come all the way from Andros for the same purpose.

We're just talking about the girls, how much we miss them and when we're going to next meet up with them when a loud, urgent knock comes from behind the door.

"Come in," Sky calls, sitting forward in the chair he's in.

The door pushes quickly open, and a surprising face appears in its place.

"Professor Codatora," I frown at this unexpected visitor, and we all turn to him expectantly.

"Boys," our hulking figure of a fighting instructor booms. "There has been a breach in our security of Red Fountain; someone has managed to get inside."

"What?" Helia sits up on Timmy's bed, looking worried.

"We don't know who they are or what they're after, but it seems they are being very quiet, hence why we haven't sent out whole security troops to look for them; if we keep the element of surprise, it could be to our advantage. I realise that you are probably using this time to socialise and relax, but I would be very grateful if you could join the team to help search. The more experienced specialists have been requested to help. You too, Nabu, if you please."

"Of course," the wizard says, grabbing his staff as the rest of us reach for our weapons, just in case.

Sky turns to me as we follow our teacher out of the dorm. "Boy, have I missed the action of Red Fountain."

I chuckle, clapping him on the shoulder, and jog after Codatora, the others right behind me.

We spend the next five minutes or so scouting along the corridors, moving slowly and checking almost every inch of our academy, searching for any sign of disturbance. Codatora's palm-top bleeps, and he pulls it out and answers the call as we look over his shoulder. One of our guards, in full gear, fills the screen.

"Sir, we have captured the intruder. She was on the south side first floor corridor, a few feet from the south entrance to the stadium."

"She?" Timmy echoes, confused and impressed that a girl had managed to break into Red Fountain.

"Yes, sir. She was no threat though; it seems the only breaching she conducted was that of entering Red Fountain. We could see that she was exhausted though; she was pressed up against the wall to support herself. When she heard us approaching, she turned around and looked like she was about to say something. Before she could do so, she collapsed unconscious. She's still in that state now."

"Is she still in that area?" Codatora asks.

"Yes, sir; our medic is still checking her over before we move her to the academy clinic."

"Good; we shall join you in a few minutes." Our teacher ends the call, and the screen goes black.

We make our way quickly to the south first floor, our weapons and senses still sharp in case she's just a decoy for the real intruder. When we reach the destination, a few guards are still around, watching the spot hidden from us by the medic, kneeling by what must be the girl's body.

As he hears our approach, the medic turns, his middle-aged face wrinkled slightly more through concern, his deep brown wise eyes magnified by his small glasses. He drags his fingers through his sandy-brown hair before standing up and turning to greet Codatora, exposing the girl's body to my sight.

I freeze just beyond the ring of guards, staring down at her. Codatora and some of the others in front of me continue walking. Why is she here? What's wrong with her? Why is she exhausted?

A hand touching my elbow registers in my brain, and a voice joins the hand. "Riven?" Nabu's voice is concerned.

I act on instinct, ignoring the others, dropping my laser-sword and shouldering through the guards.

"That's my _**sister**_!" I scream.

Sprinting to her side, I skid on my knees to a stop by her, grabbing her body. "Cassie?" I cry, horrified by the sight of her head lolling to the side, hanging limper than her long red curls brushing just below her collarbones. Her eyes are closed.

"Riven!" Sky calls me.

The medic appears at my side, a hand on my shoulder, telling me to stop. "She's fine," he reassures me. "She's just exhausted and needs rest, so I'm sure she'd appreciate you not disturbing her." I calm down at his words, realising that he's right.

"She's got moderate injuries, not many of them, but they show signs of a fight. They're at least a day old."

Red creeps into the rims of my vision. "What the hell?" I spit.

"I don't know," he says, firmly, reminding me that it isn't his fault. "But we won't be able to find out until she wakes up."

Taking a deep breath, I turn back to her, her head resting in my lap like it used to back home. "When will that be?"

"Possibly a day; she's been running on pure adrenaline for the past eight hours at least. She could have been awake for the past three days straight."

I scowl at her as if she could see my disapproval through her unconscious state. "Dammit, Cassie; what were you thinking?" In response, her face remains impassive, her skin the shade that has always strangely been much paler than mine. She's almost Musa's skin-colour.

I sigh in defeat, shifting her in my arms before picking her up. "I'll take her to the clinic," I tell the medic. He seems to debate arguing with me before nodding and turning to walk away. Smart guy.

Walking through the ring of guards with my sister in my arms, I suddenly remember my friends are here. Turning back towards them, their expressions of surprise and confusion aren't unwarranted. I sigh again, jerking my head down the corridor.

"Come on, guys; I'll explain everything when she's in bed."

They nod in acceptance and start following me to the academy clinic. I glance down at Cassie's face again, and frown when I see no change. A hand on my shoulder makes me look to my left.

"You heard the man, Riven," Brandon says.

Helia, walking beside him, finishes his thought. "She'll be fine once she's rested."

"Yeah, I know," I answer. I hope they hear the gratitude for their support in my voice, because I'm sure as hell not saying it out loud. I have to stop my hands curling into tight fists around my sister at my next thought. "But whoever did this to her…" I don't need to finish.

"We know," Nabu says with a smile. "And we'll be right beside you until the end, when we'll stand back and let you tear them to pieces yourself."

I grin at him, _**loving**_ the sound of his plan. My grin seems to loosen the guys up and assures them that it's okay to talk about her.

"I can kind of see the resemblance in your hair, because they're both a deep red colour – even if yours is more purple. But other than that, you two don't really look a thing like each other," Sky smirks sheepishly, probably scared of the possible reactions to his observation.

I shrug easily, even with the hundred-and-five pound weight in my arms. "Everyone's said that. We didn't really notice there was anything wrong with that until we met other siblings that looked alike. And no; we don't have different parents." I shoot Brandon a look, deliberately half-concealing a smile. He laughs and shrugs in way of defence.

"Besides," I continue, "if you think we look different now, wait till you see her eyes."

I don't have to turn my head; the resounding silence projects the image of their anticipatory faces into my head all by itself.

I grin again. "I ain't sayin' nothin'."

"Oh, that's just mean," Brandon sulks, not liking the fact that he has to wait to see what I mean.

Chuckling, I shake my head at my friend.

Finally, the clinic's large double-doors come into view, and Timmy opens them ahead of me so I can walk straight in, the large high-ceilinged room stretching out in front with those horrible-looking beds lining either side. Luckily, the front desk before the main part of the room is vacant, so we don't have to abide by the receptionist's stupid rules of waiting by the desk until every single one of the "patient's" details have been filled out in a "log-in" form. Handing my sister over to Sky, I ask him to set her in the bed in the far right corner while I fill in the stupid form. I hope he realised the symbol of how deep my trust is for him, putting my sister in his care like that. I've rarely admitted it out loud, even to her, but she's my earth and sky.

Once I'd finished filling in the basics of the form – and skipping the tedious and unnecessary details out – I make my way over to the others. They've all pulled up chairs from beside the other beds in the room, sitting around my sister who's now been tucked gently in bed, the covers pulled right up to her chin. It's already dark outside, the huge windows lining the walls barely showing anything but our reflections, but I know she'll have a great view when she wakes up. Taking the chair right next to the bed – the guys thankfully left that one to me – I stare down at Cassie, carefully pulling a lock of her hair away from her face. A purple shadow on her cheek, which I had originally cast off as a shadow, marks the start of a bruise forming. Probably from her fall as she passed out.

I know I need to explain everything to the guys, and I'm not immune to the tense silence around us now, but I have no idea where to start.

"You never said you had a sister," Helia says, almost casually.

His tone makes it sound like it's just a continuation of a normal conversation, but the sentence is loaded with directions it could take. Namely one where I introduce her and begin explaining our past. For all his possible combat faults, the poet sure has his way with words.

"I never really wanted to talk about her, or saw a reason to," I explain. "We kind of have a difficult past."

"Riven." I turn to Nabu. "You are among friends; you can tell us anything."

Switching from face to face, I don't see any impatience for me to open up. Only support and encouragement for me to tell what I wanted to, even if there are limits. I really do owe the world to my friends.

I never said that, alright?

Figuring I should just go for broke, I begin: "On my planet, Hyxea **(Pronounced****hix-EE-ya)**, there were these wizards who wanted to absorb all magic and make it their own. I don't know how they did it, but they tracked fairies, witches, you name it, then performed a spell that stole their magic and left them as ordinary humans.

"My sister showed amazing skill as the Fairy of Air, teaching herself the lessons. She unbelievably managed to achieve her Enchantix level by the age of eleven."

Sky lets out a low whistle, impressed by the fact that the level our girlfriends are at now had been reached by such a young girl.

"I know, right?" I agree. "She was something of a legend in our town – even though she was always modest and said she didn't want to be famous like that. But because of her fame, those wizards caught wind of her.

"One night, when Cassie and I were both twelve, the wizards broke into our house. Our parents fought against them to defend us, being skilled in a bit of magic themselves. They died trying." I never move my gaze from my sister's face. Again, the silence tells me all their emotions; their horror, their sympathy, their shock. I ignore them all, not wanting to confront those just yet.

"Cassie and I fought too, obviously, since we'd both been training physically too, but the wizards managed to capture her and perform the spell. They began to absorb her power, but suddenly the spell started to go wrong. Even I could see that; it was getting too wild, probably because Cassie's magic was too powerful, too intense. Eventually it imploded, taking the wizards with it, but thankfully sparing my sister. She had injuries only from the fighting with the wizards, everything about her was in perfect functioning order. Everything…except her magic.

"The attempt and failure at taking her power away affected it somehow, and her body began to reject her magic when she used it. She can still use magic now – small and simple spells or skills that she was able to do without thinking before that night, like telepathic communication – but any time she tries to cast big spells, or use too much of her magic at once…" I close my eyes, remembering her description of the experience and seeing it in action. "She left her diary out one night, open on one page. I know you're not supposed to, but I just glanced over the page and realised she was talking about what it felt like to use her magic now. It said, 'There are no words to describe it. The ones that come closest are all-consuming agony.'" Feeling my fingers curl into fists, I quickly stop playing with Cassie's hair so I don't hurt her. "There's something a brother never wants his sister writing about."

A hand falls on my tense shoulder. "Riven, I'm sure you did nothing but try to protect her."

I sigh, not bothering to voice that the only fact I'm interested in is the part where I failed to do so. "But she tries so hard to be brave. I'd seen her use her magic after that night and before I saw the diary, and I would've guessed it hurt her. But not that much." Catching sight of a large but shallow cut on her bare forearm, I scowl.

"And now I want to know why she's like this and who did it to her."

"Well, we'll have to wait till tomorrow morning at least," Brandon says. "We should leave her to sleep now."

"I'm staying here." The other glance at me, surprised.

"I've left her on her own and look what's happened. I'm not risking it again, on principle," I explain.

"Then I will stay with you," Nabu smiles. "You'll need your sleep, and I can take watch while you get it. Then you can cover for me while _**I**_ sleep."

Why didn't I think of that? I nod to Nabu, immensely grateful for his help, and we say goodnight to the others as they head out, clapping me on the back or patting my shoulder in support as they walk past.

"I'll take first watch," I say as soon as the door is closed.

Nabu half-smiles and sighs. "I had a feeling you might say that, considering you look as if your will alone will be able to hold you to that chair forever."

Despite the situation, I laugh, and Nabu grins, apparently pleased with his success in cheering me up temporarily. He walks to the bed beside Cassie's and climbs in, pulling the covers over himself once situated.

As I turn back to my sister, taking in her blank and unconscious face, I sigh, preparing myself for a long night ahead.

**Cassie's POV**

Ohhh, boy; I needed that sleep.

My consciousness comes back before I decide to open my eyes; the blissful and surprising totally-refreshed feeling is too perfect, compared to the last few days, to interrupt with another sensory distraction added to the faint wood-varnish scent. Once I have finished my basking, I allow my eyes to take in the large, high-ceilinged room, bright with the light of daytime. The cream walls and ceiling with the crimson arched supports emanate majesty familiar only to Red Fountain Academy. Tiles lined the floor, matching the shade of the walls, and the mattress I'm lying on might well be made out of clouds. **(I****know****that****clouds****are****just****water****vapour,****but****it****sounds****nice****to****describe****stuff****like****that****:P)**

As I push myself up with ease, the polished light wood of the numerous bed-frames surrounding me explains the smell. From the number of beds – and the chairs and tables beside each of them – this must be the academy's clinic. I'm grateful to the guards who found me; I'd expected them to have thrown me in a guarded cell or something. Looking further around the room, to my surprise I spot my brother in the bed next to me, no one else in the room. For a horrifying moment, I consider the fact that he's in here because he's been injured, and that thought makes me leap out of bed and rush over to him. I frantically check over his still-clothed body, but begin to calm down when I find no injuries. In fact, he seems perfectly fine – just asleep.

Ah, of course; he's quite trusted in Red Fountain, so if guards and higher-ups were called because of the "break-in" he probably would have been out too. Then he would have been called to the scene, and would have seen me. He stayed with me. All night.

My expression softens along with my heart, and I smile fondly down at my brother, calmly walking from his side to let him sleep.

The _**huge**_ window that's next to the bed I was in is my next destination, my eagerness to see the view from up on this floating school getting the better of me. And, boy; I am _**so**_ not disappointed. Someone should be paid to just stand in this position, right here, leaning against the window frame, and paint the skyline. One of the waterfalls cascades down to the left, and the luscious forest stretches further out than I can see, the life almost a visible aura.

"Wow," I whisper, entranced by the sight.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a voice – not my brother's – dispels my reverie. I gasp and jump back to face the intruder.

A young man, definitely older than me and possibly older than Riven, stands in the room, a small distance away from the door. His broad shoulders tell-tale the Red Fountain training, so I guess he's a specialist. He's obviously "off-duty" though; a light dusty-green shirt adorns his muscular chest while he wears loose cream coloured pants and beige loafers **(Does****he****wear****loafers?****:S)**. I'm guessing they're his comfort clothes when he's not in uniform. His stance is casual and unthreatening, his long slate-gray hair covering one eye before sweeping over his shoulder and into a pony-tail. His eye-colour matches perfectly, and the combination is amazing. Even over the distance, I can see the small smile on his face, almost pleased with my opinion of the horizon.

He holds his hands up in front of him, as if calming a startled animal. I guess that's me then.

"I'm sorry," his soft voice swirls across the room, comforting me. "I didn't mean to startle you."

I nod in acceptance. Putting puzzle pieces together, I smile at him. "From your lack of surprise at seeing a girl in your all-boys academy, you know my brother and he told you about me."

He grins. "Exactly. I'm Helia, one of Riven's friends. Your brother and a friend of ours stayed with you all night, taking turns to watch you." He cocks his head to the side. "How are you feeling?"

I twirl, feeling so energised and happy that I can't control the weird urge. "Great! I've never felt better."

Helia frowns. "That's odd; it's not even eight in the morning yet, and you were so exhausted last night that you passed out. You shouldn't even be awake yet, let alone this lively."

"I know, I can't explain it either. I just feel better than I have in a long time."

Helia's silent for a few moments, obviously thinking of explanations, before realisation dawns on his face along with a smile. "Nabu," he chuckles.

"Hmm?"

He focuses back on me. "The friend who stayed here with Riven last night. He must have cast a revival spell on you or something, so you'd get your strength back faster."

I start, my joy and energy suddenly freezing. "Wait, what? Cast a spell?"

Helia nods. "Nabu is a wizard. His magic skills are fantastic."

Hair rises on the back of my neck, and ice trickles down my spine. "A wizard?" I breathe.

Confusion returns to Helia's face, before shock and comprehension takes over. He takes a few quick steps closer to me, but stops, seemingly thinking that I could take that as a threat. "No, no; it's okay. He's been our friend for a while now, and he's one of the kindest people I've ever met. He's fine. He's not going to hurt you."

"It's true, Cassie." Riven's voice jerks me back from my waking nightmares, and I see that he's sitting up in bed, swinging his feet onto the floor and beginning to walk over to me.

"Riven," Helia grimaces. "I'm sorry; I completely forgot that –."

"Don't worry about it, Helia," Riven interrupts him, reassuring his friend he understands no harm was meant. He doesn't stop walking towards me until he's by my side, and he puts both his hands on my shoulders, bending down slightly to stare directly into my eyes, his deep purple ones a huge contrast to mine.

"It's okay, Cassie," he murmurs. "He doesn't mean you any harm. No one here does. You're at Red Fountain, and you're with me. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

Wanting to just get those damn memories, both of years ago and of only days ago, I bury my face in my brother's shirt, not caring if he's slept in it and it's all dirty. I still need to tell him – and his friends now apparently too – what happened to me, why I'm here. And I'm not sure if Riven will still make that promise about me being safe when he hears about it.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter (newly refurb-ed with the help of NadeshikoLove1224 – thanks so much for your help. I've kept a few things from the original chapter 1, to keep the personal touch), and I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can :D **

**Fly on,**

**NitnatRide**


	2. Explanations and Breakfast

**Chapter 2: Explanations and breakfast**

**Cassie's POV**

Once I've finally calmed down enough, Riven asks Helia to go get "the others" – I'm assuming he means his other friends – while he grabs some breakfast for the two of us. The other guys don't need any as Helia tells him that they've already had breakfast before Helia came to check on both of us.

So once again, I'm left alone as the two boys leave the clinic to complete their separate tasks. The wonderful sight out of the window offers the perfect distraction to pass the time before they return, and I marvel at the colour of the forest again. Turning to a mirror on the other side of the room, I finger the apple of my cheek, visualising the forest that I've turned away from to see if they are the same shade as my eyes.

_No; the leaves outside are too dark. My eyes are more vibrant, more viridian than khaki._

A knock at the door makes me jump – consequently nearly poking my eye out – and I call out to give the person permission to enter. Riven nudges the door open with his back, his elbow pushing the handle down. As he turns to face me, I can see his hands are too occupied with a tray to perform these tasks. Two plates piled high with bacon, sausages, fried egg, and baked beans. The whiff of the highly-unhealthy but highly-delicious food slinks its way quickly over to me, and my stomach shows its approval embarrassingly loudly.

Riven chuckles. "Someone's hungry," he smirks. He places the tray on the bedside table near the bed I used. "Were you looking at your bruise?"

"No, but thanks for reminding me about that," I roll my eyes as I turn back to the mirror, now poking at the imperfection in question. "I was seeing if the trees were the same colour as my eyes."

Riven's reflection grins in my direction. "Not a chance; they're too dark. They don't have the same wow-factor as your eyes."

My brother had once said that my eye colour was completely unnatural – he claimed he meant it in a good way, meaning that nothing could match the colour – and since then, just out of spite, I have been searching for natural objects that have the same colour. Riven has known about this quest for a while, and relishes every opportunity where I fail to match the hue. The closest I have got is grass, but it's still not perfect.

"Whatever," I retort just as the door swings open. Both of us turn to watch the rest of Riven's friends enter the room. There are five of them, including the already-introduced Helia, and all of them have broad shoulders and obvious well-developed muscles. They're all in casual clothes, except one with slightly tanned skin; robe-like garments in a light purple with a yellow pattern in the middle adorn his figure, giving him the air of royalty. The crackle of new power in the room reminds me of the fact that one of them in here is a wizard, and my defence instincts go on automatic alert.

"Wow," one of them speaks. We all turn to the one with deep brown eyes and matching hair with a long side-fringe. "You weren't kidding about her eyes."

They all laugh while Riven smiles his "told you so" smile. Turning to him, I raise my eyebrows in question.

"They noticed how different we look," he explains. "And I told them to wait till they saw your eyes."

"Oh, yeah," I can't help but smiling at the strangers. "One time when we were in town together, an old lady asked if I was his girlfriend. She wouldn't accept his denial nor his explanation that I was his sister."

"That was a traumatic experience," my brother jokes while the specialists almost roll around on the floor with laughter.

"Ha!" I turn to him sardonically. "You weren't seeing it from my view. It was ten times worse."

As the boys calm down, I flick my gaze back to the brown-haired one. "Nice ice-breaker technique," I congratulate him.

He winks then tips his upper body forward in a bow. "Thank you; I thought it was rather good myself."

Grinning at him, I walk towards my bed again, picking up one plate from the tray Riven brought in and sitting down onto the bed. "I need food now."

The specialist with sunshine-blond hair just above his shoulders chuckles again. "That sounds more like Riven."

"You try going two-and-a-half days with no sleep and very little food," I say feigning indignation.

"Which brings us very nicely onto the matter at hand." Riven scrapes a chair across the floor to sit facing me, the chair-back between his legs and propping up his folded arms. The intense interrogatory expression on his face makes my inner me roll her eyes and sigh 'here we go again'.

"What the hell?" my brother calmly sums up his thoughts succinctly as the others grab chairs and form a semi-circle around me, reminding me of little children in a class when the visitor comes in to tell them of their great adventures and exciting tales.

_I hope you know this won't have a happy ending, boys._

I sigh, and motion to my plate. "Can I eat while I explain?"

"Sure." Riven's no longer smiling. Bad sign, and it's only going to go downhill from here.

As I gather my thoughts and busy myself with my food, the tension in the room stretches, a thin film covering more and more of the room as the silence continues to grow until I feel like I'm suffocating.

"Wizards," I say, trying not to gasp the word in response to the figurative smothering.

A light flicks on behind my brother's eyes; a purple flame. Deceptively small, but I remember how easily that flame can flare into an inferno. And now, there's very little chance that I'll be able to avoid causing the next inferno.

"Wizards?" he echoes, his voice daring me to go on.

"Mm-hm. They found me in the street when I was alone."

"What did they do?" _The__storm__'__s__brewing._

I pause for another few seconds, staring at Riven and predicting his reaction. Once I realise there's nothing I can do to prevent his anger, I sigh again. "They were trying to steal my magic. They opened up another portal, but this one felt different to…the one from before; like it was one-way." Breaking our gaze, I take another bite of bacon. "And exponentially more powerful. The wizards themselves were throwing off so much magical energy my hair was practically standing on end with the charge in the air."

"Did you fight back?" Of course Riven would ask that.

I grin at him. "What do you think?"

Riven smirks proudly in response, the blaze in his eyes thankfully dulled slightly with satisfaction. "So what happened after that? Who were they?"

I shrug. "I was sucked into the portal-thing, but I got thrown back out again. They said something about me being rejected – I told them I was seriously offended by that – and they cleared off after that. I couldn't tell you who they were; I didn't hear any specific names mentioned when they were talking. I thought I heard who I assumed to be the leader say something about the Wizards of the Black Circle though, and that they had found the 'last fairy on Earth'."

Surprisingly enough, Riven doesn't jump up in anger at the end of my recount, but processes the information calmly, miles away. He focuses back on me. "Why would they think you're the last fairy on Earth?"

I shrug again. "I went to Earth two weeks ago as a vacation. Pure curiosity. They must have been watching, and assumed I was actually natively from Earth."

"Why you would want to go to _**Earth**_ for a vacation is beyond me," my brother raises an eyebrow at me, and I roll my eyes at him. "But I guess that makes sense."

Silence falls on the room again, less tense than before this conversation, as answers are searched for. After five minutes, the smaller and slightly less muscular specialist speaks up, his ginger side parting flopping in the way of his glasses. "I can't figure it out, but I can run it by the girls. If it's something to do with wizards, either they or Alfea's headmistress might know something about it."

"Good thinking, Timmy," Helia nods at him.

"We could all head there now," Riven agrees, turning to me. "You'll probably be just as safe at Alfea than here."

I choke on a piece of egg, and gape at him once my mouth is clear. "Wait, Alfea as in the school for fairies?"

Dread floods my body as I consider sharing classes as they speak incantations and practice new spells while I sit awkwardly at the back. Even worse would be sharing the diner with them afterward, the whispers and murmurs floating around in my ears already…

"I can't go there," I shake my head.

Riven frowns. "Why not? This way you could speak to someone who's seen her time of dark magic and dark wizards to get some info about these guys."

"Riven, the Wizards said they were looking for the last fairy on Earth," I remind him, taking my plate off my lap and replacing it on the tray. "So if I stay at a place full of _**fairies**_ they could be in danger; what if the Wizards are tracking me somehow?"

"If they're tracking you then we're in danger here too," he retorts. "But there aren't any fairies from Earth in Alfea anyway. The one fairy who grew up on Earth is actually native of Sparx, so even she isn't who they're looking for."

"But why does that mean I can't stay here?" I stand up, my anger rising with my voice.

"Because we're going back to classes on Monday," Riven steps closer. "And I'm not sure you'd be allowed to join in, so you'd be bored doing nothing."

"So you're lumping me in with the rest of the fairies, where I'll sit in classes bored doing nothing as well? Yeah, smart move, brother; let's send the magical-invalid to the place where she'll stick out the most!" I sharply turn to face the bed, folding my arms in fury with myself; I've let him see the real reason why I don't want to go to Alfea.

The silence is uncomfortable again as the others pick up on my mistake, and I clench my eyes close as burning, embarrassed tears force their way out.

A small pressure and warmth blooms on my right shoulder, and before I know it, it's grown across my collarbone, a right hand clasping my left shoulder and vice versa as I'm pulled back into someone, their embrace a strong sanctuary. My brother always gives the best hugs, and he always gives them before even I know I need them. I bring my hands up and clutch at his firm forearms, grounding myself to the one place in the world where I feel valued and adequate. An hour, a minute, not long enough, passes with my face pressed into his forearms, and his into my neck. If it weren't for the obvious discomfort of the other specialists in the air, for feeling intrusive on our private moment, I would have forgotten our audience altogether.

Too soon, Riven pulls away, and turns me in his arms, combing one side of my hair with his fingers, drawing it back to my neck and exposing my face, the tear-tracks shining obviously in the brightness in the clinic. The sun illuminates the entire room through the enormous windows, none of the rays broken, and leaving none of Riven's face in shadow.

"Have you heard of the group of fairies called The Winx?" He stares directly into my eyes.

I nod, confused as to why he's bringing them up.

"They're our girlfriends," he explains, and my eyebrows rise. "Each one of them is going out with each one of us."

Flicking my gaze to the other specialists, I see them smiling at each other, silently agreeing that their girlfriends are awesome. I focus back on Riven as he continues.

"They are the most amazing and kindest girls any of us have ever known. They would _**never**_ make you feel uncomfortable, nor stand by while other people did so. Stick with them, and your time at Alfea will be the best of your life."

A small smile lifts my lips at the sincerity in his voice. His eyes light up again, but the light isn't a flame this time; it's sly, and anticipatory.

"However," he says, failing to suppress a smile that matches that light, "I don't see how a few days at Red Fountain, competing in the fighting tournaments we have in class, would hurt you."

Grinning at him, I resist the urge to throw my arms around him enough to smile slyly back. "Well," I flip my eyebrows, "a girl can't exactly complain about spending a few days in an academy full of hot, noble and muscular guys."

Riven chuckles and shakes his head as I give in to the urge to hug him, burying my face in his shoulder. His arms tighten around me again, pressing me closer, and I relish in the feeling of protection. After a few moments, I realise a flaw in the current situation, and I seek to remedy it.

"Speaking of hot, noble and muscular guys," I pull away from my brother reluctantly, and he looks at me questioningly. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

He rolls his eyes at the description of them, but doesn't argue. He turns to face the rest of them, his arm around my shoulders protectively, and the boys are all smiling at us both.

"That one is Timmy," Riven says, pointing to the one with glasses. He smiles at me in return to the one I give him.

Riven's finger moves to the one with blond shoulder-length hair. "That's His Majesty, the King of Eraklyon, Sky." He smirks at Sky's grimace, and I can't help but mirror my brother's expression.

"Shall I practice my curtsy, sire?" I ask Sky, mockingly.

He shakes his head. "No, that's okay." He gives me a look that says '_**please**_ don't curtsy' and I laugh.

"That's Brandon," my brother refers to the one with the brown eyes and brown hair. He waves at me slightly, and I copy him.

"You already know Helia," my brother continues, and I nod in confirmation, smiling at Helia.

"The last one is Nabu," Riven introduces me to the one in the robes. My body stiffens slightly at the recollection of his name.

"Nabu," I say carefully, like his name could hurt me. "That must mean you're the wizard."

The guy smiles sadly. "Yes. You've had quite bad luck with wizards, haven't you? You must be fairly wary of them."

Instead of the straight out confirmation, I plan my answer carefully, opting for being diplomatic. "Only those that have bad intentions," I correct him. Translation: give me time and a reason to trust you, and I will. His smile is warmer, grateful, and I'm thankful he understands the truce I've given him.

"I'm grateful for the revival spell you cast on me," I add, suddenly remember my miraculous recovery.

Nabu's smile widens, and he nods his acceptance. "I didn't know if it would work, but I'm glad it did."

"Me too," I agree, nodding.

Turning back to look at my now-empty plate on the bed, I speak to Riven again. "Brother, love you as I do, that was not enough food for someone who has eaten very little for the past three days."

Riven rolls his eyes again before checking the clock on the opposite wall to my bed.

"It's only ten past eight, so breakfast should still be being served in the dining hall. Let's go down there now."

"Yes," Brandon agrees enthusiastically, jumping up from his chair. "Second helpings, I'm all for that."

I giggle at my new friend's eagerness while Riven rolls his eyes.

We make our way out of the clinic as a group, with Riven and me in the middle and the others surrounding us, and I can't help but gape and gaze at the spectacular decor of the famous academy. The rich scent of the polished oak panels that reach halfway up the walls caresses my sense of smell, and the welcoming crimson of the walls gives me the sense of protection. The boys chatter excitedly about the fighting tournament supposedly being held tomorrow. Soon the same aroma of what was on my previous plate joins the oak-scent, and I unconsciously speed up my pace. Luckily, the guys don't laugh at me, as they do the same.

Finally the corridor opens up into the biggest hall I have ever seen. Four long wooden almost picnic tables stretch the length of the hall, which has to be at least a hundred feet. The number of people in the room makes the size of the room seem a little over the top, but I guess that these people are the ones who enjoy taking their time with their breakfast, or those who wanted a lie-in. The rest of the population of the vast academy have probably already had their meal and are up in their dorms relaxing, out in the school-grounds getting some extra practice, or in the nearest town for a day-out. The walls have the same panels as in the corridors but the crimson upper half has brightened to the same gentle cream in the clinic. The vast windows here are also similar to those in the clinic, making the room so much brighter and illuminating the large amounts of food on tables under the windows. The range is amazing. They have cold dishes, like cereal and bowls of fruit and yoghurt. Then, in containers designed to retain heat, there's things like porridge and the choices I had on my previous plate; bacon, sausages, eggs – either fried, boiled or scrambled – and potato cakes or hash browns. Then there's "dessert" stuff like pancakes and syrup or ice-cream.

Apparently my stomach has already digested through my first plate, and sounds its annoyance at my staring and not eating.

The guys and I quickly choose a relatively empty spot on the far right table to sit. The rest of the guys say they will keep the places while Riven – who hasn't eaten yet – Brandon and I get our meals, and we thank them before walking off to our target spots. I make my way over to the cooked breakfast selection again with Brandon, while Riven goes to the cereal at the other end of the table. Knowing his protectiveness, I'm surprised he doesn't stay by my side, "just to keep me safe." Maybe he's finally learned that I'm not as fragile as he thinks.

_Yeah,__that__'__s__likely,_ I think sarcastically.

"Riven doesn't know what he's missing with this stuff," Brandon says, handing a plate over to me before taking one for himself. "Who needs cereal when you've got bacon?"

"Vegans?" I suggest, suppressing a smile.

He makes a face at me. "Don't be pedantic."

I laugh, and he grins at me.

"I will be over there," he points towards the pancakes, "getting an extra-large dose of unhealthy-ness."

"You're getting dessert before you've eaten your cooked breakfast?" I look at him disbelievingly.

He shrugs, walking backwards. "You'll get used to me eventually."

Smiling, I shake my head as he turns around and walks over to the other table. Glancing back to the table the guys are at, I see my brother there, already starting on his cereal. I turn back to the container of sausages, reaching for the fork laid out to serve with. Another hand reaches the fork at the same time as mine though, our skin touching just for a second – enough for me to feel the slight scars from fighting contrasting with the softness elsewhere on the skin – and startling me enough for me to drop the fork. My eyes follow the lean but muscular arm up to a pair of broad shoulders, up the line of the pale-ish, smooth neck to the face.

The unblemished skin matches the hue I saw on his neck, the full lips parted slightly in surprise. Thick dark brown hair – the colour of dark chocolate – flicks down just enough to kiss the tops of his eyelids. And his eyes…one time, Riven and I were taken to a beach resort, and I can recall the spectacular colour of the ocean there; a wonderful myriad of sapphire, azure, aquamarine and emerald. I never thought I'd see that colour again outside of that resort. Getting lost in these eyes right now – a good few inches above mine – I was wrong.

"Oh, beg your pardon, miss," a silky – but obviously masculine – voice startles me. It takes me a while to realise those soft words came out of the lips of the wondrous male specimen in front of me. As I focus back, I see him turn the fork handle towards me.

"Ladies first," he smiles, stunning me again.

Luckily, I manage to snap out of my reverie myself this time. "Oh, no, that's okay, thank you. I'm kind of already on my second helping." I dip my head, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh yeah?" those eyes sparkle playfully, obviously impressed. The guy shrugs his shoulders, keeping his plate perfectly level. "I'm on my third."

A laugh bubbles up my throat at his statement, and his lips stretch and split to reveal an orderly line of dazzling whiteness, and I can see the sun outside doing a double-take. He holds the fork out to me again.

"Go ahead," he insists, and I relent and take it from him, piercing a few sausages and dropping them onto my plate. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him still watching me and smiling.

"So you must be Riven's sister," he says.

"Yeah," I confirm. "Cassie Cestanne. I would shake your hand, but mine are kind of taken at the moment." **(Her****surname****is****pronounced****kuh-STAN).**

He chuckles and reaches over again, and I freeze as he gently pries the fork from my right hand, brushing my fingers as he does so, and places it back in the sausage container. Once done, his right hand moves towards mine again, this time deliberately clasping mine, his fingers twining around my hand in a gentle but firm way that betrays his ability to be powerful. The electric shocks buzzing up my arm stun me enough to stop me from squeezing his own hand.

"Danny Qator," he nods slightly. **(Surname****pronounced****kuh-TOR).**

We both stare at each other some more, not moving from our physical connection until we realise the length of time we've been standing like that, and awkwardly – and reluctantly – let each other go. Danny picks up the fork again to serve himself.

"So the rumours have already made the rounds, huh?" I ask, wanting to get back to normal conversation with him.

He smiles again, shrugging. "This _**is**_ an all-boys high school."

"And yet it would be so much worse if it was all girls," I note.

A joyful, velvet laugh escapes him. "True," he admits. "So what's happening with you anyway?"

I look at him in surprise; the first question I expected out of him was 'why are you here?' And yet, his question indicates he's more interested in my present and future, rather than my past. He glances over at me when I don't respond for a few seconds, and he seems to understand my expression, shrugging again.

"I know you must have come here, looking for your brother, for a pretty dangerous and/or personal reason. If that's the case, and it happened to me, I wouldn't want someone I'd only just met prodding for details about what happened. Our own pasts belong to us, and you should only trust your possessions to those you trust dearly. If you ever want to tell me about what happened, it'll be your decision to tell me when you're ready."

My mouth is almost on the floor by the end of his speech; the words that have come out of his mouth have been my exact lifelong principle when it comes to asking people about personal things. I have never found anyone who shared those views. Until now.

"I thought I was the only one who thought like that," I breathe, smiling slightly.

Danny blinks in surprise, then smiles softly too. "No way; someone has to be ready to tell you something, not pushed into doing it."

Comfortable silence falls between us again as we stand and smile at each other, neither willing to break the moment. Since Danny was really the one to break it last time, I decide it's my turn.

"I'm hoping to stay here for a few days, two at the most," I answer his previous question. "Then I'll probably move to Alfea."

Danny raises his eyebrows. "Cool; there's a fighting tournament tomorrow. It should be pretty exciting to watch, although joining in is the most fun."

"Who says I'm going to watch?" I smile slyly at him, hoping he gets my message.

The startled look on his face indicates that he does, and the playfulness returns to his eyes as he narrows them slightly at me, trying to determine if I'm joking or not. Eventually, it dawns on him that I'm being honest, and he flips his eyebrows.

"In that case, I'm looking forward to it even more than I was before," he says.

"Me, too."

He nods slightly, almost to himself, while staring down at me. "I'll see you around, Cassie."

I nod once. "See you later, Danny."

He hesitates a few seconds, then turns to walk away, and I follow suit. We both steal glances at each other over our shoulders as we return to our respective seats.

**So, how was that chapter? Excuse me while I swoon over a guy that…I made up in my head. Why are the good ones always either gay, taken or not even real? :P**

**Fly on,**

**NitnatRide**


	3. Interested

**Chapter 3: Interested**

**Cassie's POV**

Finally, Monday, the day of the tournament, arrives. The specialists and I wake up extra early to grab some breakfast, more than we had the day before; we need a lot today if we're going to keep our strength up in the early rounds, let alone if any of us make it to the final.

Yesterday passed in a blur of relaxation, fun and laughs in Riven's dorm. The guys didn't at all seem fazed by the change of pace with the addition of a girl to their usual testosterone-only company at Red Fountain; they seemed to accept me simply as the new addition to their circle, as well as their girlfriends' circle considering how much they talked about them.

I had even got to see and talk to one of the girls; Riven must have noticed me fingering the hem of my black tank-top uncomfortably, conscious of the fact that I'd been running and even sleeping in my outfit for three days straight. He relayed that information to Brandon, and he had apparently got the coded message that I was missing, pulling his palm top out of his pocket. He pressed one of his speed-dials, and the guys all crowded around to see the screen. I followed their lead after Riven beckoned me over.

A beautiful young woman materialised on the screen, her long, thick and slightly wavy hair matching the golden hue of her unique eyes. The skin on her face at least seemed well cared-for, and the shoulders of a turquoise and purple striped outfit showed a certain finesse with fashion. After a few moments, I recognised the stunning – and possibly self-absorbed – face of Stella of Solaria, from the Winx.

"Hey, there, shnookums," she beamed. I tried not to giggle at the nickname, obviously for one of the guys as I recalled Riven saying the Winx each have one of the specialists as their boyfriend. Apparently, Stella's is Brandon, as he smiled back and answered.

"Hey, there, beautiful," he greeted her. "Listen, we need your expertise on clothes for a second." He gestured to me, making me the centre of attention. "This is Cassie, Riven's sister."

At the total shock on Stella's face, I had shaken my head at her boyfriend. "Brandon, you can't just drop that bomb on her and not answer any of her other questions. Let's tell her the full story."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Riven placed a tender hand on my shoulder.

I smiled at him. "You told me I could trust the Winx. So that's exactly what I'm doing."

So we told her. Everything, including my "disability". This took fifteen minutes straight, and Stella looked horrified by the end of it. Brandon tried to steer the conversation onto happier and more comfortable territory for the fairy.

"But Cassie's feeling a little uncomfortable in her clothes at the moment, considering she's had them on for seventy-two hours," he explained.

Stella's face brightened. "So you want my help with choosing an outfit for her that will wow the world?"

Brandon winked. "Exactly."

She had studied me carefully for a few seconds, obviously thinking of colour combinations and other things that I have no knowledge of whatsoever.

"Well," she spoke up, "you're too short to use any of my clothes, so I'll have to buy you new ones. But it just so happens that I saw the most amazing outfit on my favourite shopping website yesterday. It's in the sale, so it shouldn't be that much – but don't you worry about the price, because this one's on me." She smiled at me again, and I really hoped she could see how much her gesture meant to me from my own grin. The display on the screen changed as she moved her own palm-top with her, and we saw her tapping away at her computer, presumably logging on to that website. "I can order it right now, and with my many loyalty cards and numerous contacts that I can call and use a bit of leverage with, I can have it delivered directly to Red Fountain within about, ooh, two hours." The radiance of her wink definitely reflected the magic of the fairy of the sun, moon and stars.

"That's my girl," Brandon laughed.

"Wow, Stella," I chuckled breathlessly. "Thank you so much. This means a lot to me."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Think nothing of it. A 'welcome to Alfea' present from the Winx."

"But I'm not at Alfea yet," I objected.

"No, but you will be," she reminded me. "And when you are, I can say on behalf of the entire Winx club, we'll have your back. We'll be starting our first year as teachers when we go back in a few days, so we can have a lot more power over students. Although, why Alfea decided to start school again on a _**Thursday**_, I have no idea. But it gives me only a few days of school before another weekend, so I'm not going to complain."

I laughed again. "Thanks, Stella. I can't wait to meet you in person."

"You too, Cassie," she waved. "You can thank me for the outfit then. Bye, Brandon! Bye, guys! Bye, Cassie!"

About an hour and three-quarters later, a knock had come to Riven's door. It was a specialist, I assumed, telling us we had a delivery and handing it over to my brother. Riven grinned and thanked the guy before closing the door and turning to me.

"Go on, it's your present," he passed it over. "The bathroom is just at the back of the room and to the left. You can change in there, then we can see the full effect of the outfit."

In the bathroom, I carefully opened the box, my breath catching in excitement. A set of underwear – a little more fancy than my usual selection – sat on top of the outfit, and I removed my previous clothing before slipping those on. Next were the light denim stone-washed jeans, and they hugged my thighs nicely as I pulled them up. But they didn't feel like normal jeans; they felt light, and I had so much movement it was like I wasn't wearing anything. Which is a weird and unnerving feeling. The same could be said for the T-shirt. The freedom inside it was incredible while I still could feel the benefit of the layer, and it was tight enough to make it seem like I had curves around my upper chest area, which was amazing; I've always considered my 34Bs a bit of a disappointment, but my lack of size helps in physical fighting. Less "rebound" if you get my meaning.

The T-shirt was mainly black, with a spattering of smallish deep purple hearts near the bottom, beginning halfway down the T-shirt, then growing in number and becoming closer together as they got closer to the hem. Looking back in the box, I find a pair of new white sneakers to complete the look. But, even more surprising, under some tissue paper below the sneakers, a set of plain black pyjamas sat folded up: a short-sleeved shirt and some shorts. Wow, I really needed to thank Stella, big time.

With the whole ensemble of the black T-shirt, the stone-washed jeans and the white sneakers on, I stood in front of the large mirror, perusing myself.

_Not__bad,_ I concluded. _Enough__femininity__to__make__me__look__like__a__girl,__but__not__enough__to__make__me__seem__useless__in__a__fight._

Stella is a genius.

The guys' conversation stopped as they heard the lock clicking back, and I stepped out to face their gazes. Their smiles showed their silent agreement that I looked good. Riven shook his head as I walked back to him.

"You are too beautiful for anyone, you know that?" he put an arm around my shoulders.

"What, even Danny Qator?" Brandon stared at me pointedly, fortunately for him out of hitting range.

"Huh?" Riven turned to him.

"Your sister and Danny Qator were flirting at breakfast, over by the sausages," Brandon laughed.

As I glared at Stella's traitor boyfriend, Riven's purple eyes slid to me with a 'seriously?' expression, obviously disapproving. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Would you rather people stayed under the impression that I was _**your**_ girlfriend?" I pointed out. "I was just talking with him anyway; we'd accidentally bumped into each other by the sausages, and we got talking. That's all. Stop freaking out and being all over-protective big brother on me. I don't need your help when it comes to relationship advice."

"Uh-huh," he'd said, not looking away from me. I knew that that look meant 'this isn't over', and resisted the urge to groan in frustration.

Sky had left last night, saying his dad wanted him back in Eraklyon, so we said our farewells to him. That's why this morning it's just me, Riven, Timmy, Brandon, Helia and Nabu.

Despite my claims to my brother last night – which, okay, _**may**_ have been little white lies – I find myself holding the serving fork for the sausages longer than necessary. It only takes me a few seconds to realise it's because I want Danny's hand to bump into mine again, so we could have another conversation, even if it's without the flirting. I find him so fascinating and charming, and his words captivate me, especially as they seem to echo my deepest thoughts and principles.

But, sadly, a repeat of yesterday doesn't occur, and I return to the guys' table alone, feeling a strange emptiness that has nothing to do with hunger.

After going back upstairs just to brush our teeth – the guys are already in their ridiculous uniforms, and I'm wearing my new ensemble – we head outside to the arena, where the tournament will be taking place. Riven opts to train a little before the actual tournament, so he's up on the floor kicking another specialist's butt.

"Save some for the tournament, hot-shot," I call to him, taking pity on my brother's poor opponent as the guy falls to the ground painfully.

"Whatever," he retorts, barely breathing hard as his slightly-curved purple laser-sword sheaths itself in its own hilt. He strides confidently over to us, not even helping the guy to his feet.

"Sorry about my brother," I shrug sheepishly at the guy as he pushes himself up. After he's caught his breath, he waves his hand dismissively at me, as if to say 'don't worry about it; I'm used to it'. I swing a look back to Riven.

"What?" he spreads his hands out to his sides, palms facing upward.

"You could have at least helped him up," I gesture to the guy, now walking away.

"I won't be helping him up in a few minutes; I'll be fighting him. I was practicing for a fighting tournament, not a chivalry test."

I snort and fold my arms. "You don't know the meaning of the word 'chivalry'. And if I hadn't spent yesterday laughing with you, I'd think you never stopped training or being serious."

"He doesn't." You would think the other guys practice their synchronicity; the sentence is said perfectly in time with each other. Even if I hadn't wanted to laugh at my brother, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself.

"Ha, ha. You're real funny, guys," Riven sulks, flopping onto the bench. "I just want to win this thing."

"There's a surprise," Brandon mutters sarcastically.

Realising how close Riven and I have come to a sibling row just now, I opt to steer the conversation onto safer, more light-hearted ground.

"Seriously though, I'd heard that specialists were brave, but I didn't know you guys were _**this**_ brave."

Helia looks up from writing something in a notebook. "What? You mean holding fighting tournaments?"

"That's part of it," I allow. "But that's kind of generic. But wearing those uniforms must take some _**serious**_ courage."

The guys all have to be careful not to fall off the benches their laughing so hard. Even Riven's shoulders are shaking as he tries to hold in his laughter and to not break his sulking streak.

But after a few seconds, I realise there are one too many voices laughing to fit in with the number of the guys here. As I look around, I begin to recognise it, linking it to a voice in my memory, and I finally spot the source sitting on a bench just a few feet from me. Danny Qator's ocean eyes are sparkling with amusement, his smile making the sun dim in shame again. My heart lifts at his presence.

I shrug at him, feigning nonchalance at his entrance. "What? It's true; you all look ridiculous."

He returns the shrug. "Yeah, we do. But it's protocol. At least you don't go here, so you're allowed to look great in that new outfit."

Turning to him with a sly grin, I ask. "Why, Mister Qator; was that a compliment, just now?"

He winks at me. "Take it however you want. The fact still stands that you look amazing."

My smile turns soft, flattered by his compliment. There's no need for me to return the compliment though; it's the most obvious thing in the world, so I don't feel the need to point it out.

"Trying to sweet-talk your way into a victory, Qator?" The tension around Riven's forced smile is obvious enough for me to gather he didn't want to conceal it. He wants Danny to know that I've got a brother in the background, waiting for him to make one wrong move – by his rules. I glare at him, and not just because of his downright insult to Danny.

"Not at all, Riven," Danny replies, all politeness. "Besides, I don't think your sister would be one to be sweet-talked out of a fight."

_Well-played,__Danny_. The use of Riven's first name means he's tried to take a figurative non-threatening step closer to him, instead of using the last name and putting the aggression on, as my brother had. The use of "your sister" is also a response to Riven's veiled threat before; an acknowledgement that Riven _**is**_ there, and that he will be watching his every move, but a show that he's confident enough that he won't make a mistake.

A brief "Hm," in agreement is the only response my brother deems acceptable.

"Lay off, Riv," I scowl, using my childhood nickname for him. "He was just saying I look nice."

"Whatever," he mutters, deliberately not looking my way.

Making a noise in the back of my throat, I stand up and intentionally walk to Danny's bench, taking a seat beside him. The other guys act like nothing's wrong, going back to talking or writing in their notebook, but I can see my brother tense in his seat. I ignore him.

"I don't want you two to get into a fight because of me," Danny says, quietly now, leaning his elbows on his knees and turning his head to talk to me.

I shake my head. "Don't worry about it. Since you've been around him for a fair while, I would have thought you'd know by now that he can be stupidly obnoxious."

He shrugs. "I don't blame him though. I know if I had a sister, especially a younger one, I would probably do the same; grilling any guy who's interested in her and interrogating them while pointing a bright light in their face."

The image of Danny doing such a thing makes me laugh; it just seems so absurd, what with his gentle and amiable character.

"It's just frustrating, you know?" I continue, on a roll now. "Yeah, he wants to make sure I'm okay, I get that. But he does this with _**everything**_; he barely lets me do anything by myself. It's like he doesn't believe in my capability or something. Sometimes it's just annoying, but other times…it hurts, you know?"

"He just loves you very much," Danny smiles. I can't believe he's defending him. It's not that I don't think Riven should be defended, it's just that most people are infuriated with Riven's character, and definitely not tolerant of it.

"I made one mistake," I look up towards the sky, far away in my memories, and yet I can tell Danny's still looking at me. "One guy I liked, I chose wrong. Along the line, he hurt me emotionally, and I was a wreck for at least a week. Riven doesn't want that happening to me again, I get that. But does he have to look over my shoulder all the time? Does he always have to tell me to 'sit this one out' so I don't have to do anything because there's the smallest chance in the world that I could get hurt, emotionally or physically? He doesn't think I can handle it, doesn't believe in me."

"Well, it's that guy's loss," Danny says after a pause. "I agree with you though; I think Riven should think a little more highly of you. I heard you ran here for almost three days straight, little food, little to no sleep, and you made it. I think that's an achievement. A stupid one, yes, but it's still incredible that you managed to do that."

"All Riven saw was me lying on the floor after passing out," I agree. "Nothing wonderful about that."

He makes no comment, offering his silent support and comfort instead. My breath catches slightly as something he said earlier triggers a delayed reaction.

"Wait," I say, and Danny turns back to look at me. "What you were saying before, how you would protect your own sister from guys who were interested in her…Does that mean _**you**__**'**__**re**_ interested in _**me**_?"

_Me__and__my__big__mouth_. That's probably the most embarrassing question I've ever asked, and my face agrees as I feel it heat up with a blush.

A slow, sweet smile spreads across Danny's face, his eyes sparkling with amusement at my discomfort. He doesn't verbally reply to my question, but I get my answer through that look. Suddenly, his position and expression tense, making him look vulnerable.

"What about you?" he whispers, almost seeming scared of the response. "Are you interested?"

My blush intensifies, and a shy smile reveals itself to Danny before I can turn away. Unable to resist the temptation of sneaking a peek at him, my heart jumps when I see the joy in his new smile, and I can't help but return one to him. He laughs, his happiness too vast to stay silent. Mine too; within seconds, I'm joining in, and we're both trying to stifle our laughter for fear of seeming completely insane in the eyes of the other specialists around.

Eventually our laughter dies down, and we settle for smiling and staring at each other like idiots. The specialists' combat teacher, Codatora, walks out into the arena, and we have to break our moment.

I won't bore you with the details of what he says; one-on-one fighting matches, initial pairs already made – check the board, winner of each match goes to the next round with a new opponent while those defeated will stop fighting, final will be the two who last that long with no defeats. A normal tournament. Then we're told to go choose our weapons from the trolley he just pulled out if we don't already have one.

After browsing briefly though the swords and spears and generic stuff, I come across a weapon that's _**perfect**_ for me, and I grin as I pull it out of the stack, clutching at it confidently.

Helia is by Danny when I automatically walk back towards him, and he raises his eyebrows at me, smirking. Making sure Danny isn't looking, I stick my tongue out at him, and his shoulders shake with silent laughter. Waiting for Codatora to give the signal to check the board to see who we're all up against, I stand by Danny's right side while Helia flanks his left.

"You know," Helia says casually, "Riven's probably going to want to kill you, Danny, if you go up against him."

Danny shrugs. "I know. But I don't think it'll be that much different to his normal fighting style."

We all laugh, recognising the description of my brother.

"Well," I smile slyly. "I'd still prefer not to risk it. So I'll just have to win against him in order for him not to meet you."

Danny's ocean eyes flick down to me, his expression a mix of being surprised and impressed. I grin at him, and he returns it. "I am _**so**_ looking forward to seeing that."

**Yeah, go Cassie, power to the women! Just joking; I'm not a feminist. I would love to be able to fight, though. That would be pretty cool. Anyway, I hope you don't think the Danny-and-Cassie bit came too early in the fanfic. It's just that it kind of did happen that fast for the original Winx characters; they saw each other, and it was 'bang! Like at first sight'. Let me know your thoughts.**

**Fly on,**

**NitnatRide**


	4. Voice in the Dark

**Hello, all faithful and first-time readers! Thanks for clicking in. I'm really sorry about how long it's taken for me to get this done, but it's finally ready. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**Fly on,**

**NitnatRide**

**Chapter 4: A Voice in the Dark**

**Cassie's POV**

I wince guiltily as my semi-final opponent tumbles backward, scraping along the ground a few feet before lying still and groaning. As Codatora announces my victory and the other specialists in the wings applaud, I walk over to the guy, holding my hand out to him.

"Sorry," I say sincerely. "I guess ruthlessness runs in the Cestanne family."

A "hmph" from the sidelines makes me look up, and I roll my eyes at my brother's glare, ignoring his sulking; I beat him two rounds ago, and apparently his ego had taken too much of a blow to congratulate or support me.

My latest opponent is helped from the arena by a friend, and Codatora grins as he strides towards me.

"What an addition to our tournament!" he laughs, obviously impressed with my performance so far.

_Why?_ I think. _Hasn't he seen the same thing from Riven?_

The sound of fighting alerts me to the fact that my opponent in the final match is still to be decided. As I turn however the sound of a groan and something falling heavily signifies the match's end. The poor victim lies on the floor, holding his head. The cloak of the victor catches my attention, and I flick my gaze to him, a few feet away, and my heart and breathing stutter.

Danny too seems surprised at the identity of his next opponent, but then he smirks at me. My brain luckily kicks in again, and I raise my eyebrows, smiling with pursed lips to show how impressed I am at his victory. Sheathing his weapon which I only just realised is in his hand – a staff with laser blades at either end that is a startlingly close colour to my eyes – he bows to me in gracious acceptance of the appreciation. I laugh out loud at how contradictory but perfect that looks on him; just moments ago I had seen him beating the crap out of one of his fellow specialists, and now he's being a perfect gentleman.

"I'd be careful, Qator," I tease. "You won't be bowing to me by the end of this. This isn't a chivalry test," I repeat the words my brother used in the warm-up session.

He grins then winks at me, almost completely stopping my heart. "We'll see about that; it depends on your fighting style."

He's deliberately but teasingly mocking me, probably referring to the fact that I'm a girl, so he's really only expecting wild and weak moves. I raise my eyebrows at him in surprise. "Oh, it is _**on**_."

"Okay, you two," Codatora shouts. "Get ready for the final battle in the tournament. One of you will be the champion of this group of Red Fountain specialists. Okay! The final battle: Danny Qator versus Cassie Cestanne!"

A huge amount of applause and cheers surround us, and I hear Helia laugh and say "This'll be good."

Keeping one eye on Danny's movements, I grin at him and call, "Hope you brought a camera."

"Damn! I should have thought of that!" Brandon mutters, making me laugh again.

Danny grins then turns to me again.

"Weapon ready?" he challenges.

Smirking, I dramatically unsheathe my weapon, enjoying his impressed look as a purple laser whip unfolds, and a laser knife partners it. He grins before preparing his own bladed staff, spreading his legs out a little more and holding it in a two-handed defence grip in front of him.

A tense silence reigns over the audience as we stare each other out, each trying to detect any kind of offensive movement, no matter how small. Eventually Danny springs forward, his teeth still flashing in a smile as he swings his staff forward. Giggling in excitement, I roll to the side to avoid his swipe, shooting the whip out as I slide on my back. The end loops around his ankle, and my momentum means he can do nothing before his feet are swept from under him. He absorbs most of the fall on his outstretched hand, but it's still satisfying to see a specialist taken off his feet by me.

Apparently the audience are satisfied as well, they laugh and whistle and cheer even as one of their own appears to be disadvantaged. I let Danny get back on his feet, and he's still grinning as he turns to me once more.

"Not bad," he says, preparing his staff again. "But then again, I'm not sure why I was expecting any less from a Cestanne."

"Me neither," I joke, winking at him. "Haven't you fought my brother before?"

"Many times. Often concluding with me writhing on the floor in pain. Again, I'm not sure why I expected your senses or skills to be any less sharp."

"I know why," I mock-glare, grinning as his eyebrows rise. "It's a phenomenon, more prominent in males, called sexism."

Even as he laughs, he launches himself at me, smiles bright on both out faces as we set up a rhythm of equal attacking and defending. A number of times each of us break the other's defences, and either sweep them off their feet or press their weapon really close and forcefully against our opposition. Each time this happens, the defender recovers quickly by either pushing their own offense forward or by landing skilfully. With this pattern we have going on, some of the newer specialists might think that we're just toying with each other, even dancing together. But those of them that know Danny and/or me can easily see that we're going all-out on each other. We're just especially evenly-matched.

When things in the audience begin to get tense with prolonged anticipation, by some unseen consensus Danny and I decide to end it. Although I predicted him throwing himself at me and pinning my throat beneath his bladed staff, our unequal amounts of strength mean I can do nothing to stop him from doing so. As we both lie there breathless, him on top of me – although pushing him off is far from my priority – with his staff in an offensive position, I can tell both he and the audience think he's won. But I grin at him, moving my hand slightly to direct his attention to his upper chest. He blinks, and shifts slightly before looking down in curiosity and disbelief. He grins too, laughter starting quietly before building slightly. He turns to the audience, no doubt to describe the small but significant detail that they cannot see.

"She's got her knife pressed to my chest," he chuckles. "It's a tie!"

An explosion of cheers and applause erupts from the crowd, and when Danny helps me up I can even see a small but proud smile on my brother's face.

"Wow!" Codatora thunders before he claps a hand on our shoulders (almost knocking me to the floor). "What a match! We haven't seen something like that at Red Fountain for years! It was certainly enjoyable, wasn't it?"

A loud affirmative is the crowd's response, and Danny and I grin at each other.

"Anyway," Codatora booms, his good mood suddenly diminished slightly, "I want you all to analyse what you can remember of the style and strategy of each of the fighters, and write at least three hundred words of evaluation on at least three specific skills displayed. That's three hundred words _**per**_ skill." **(I know that's not a lot, but I'm sure you'll agree that almost any homework is too much homework.)**

A collective groan rises from the specialists, and I grin as I realise I'm an exception to any work set here. Still euphoric from this fact and my victory – I could have beaten him, I just didn't want to embarrass him in front of the others; I obviously let him push me to the floor – I grin at Danny.

"Yeah, Qator, what did you do wrong in this battle that let you get beaten by a girl?"

In mock indignation, he makes a sound in the back of his throat and raises his eyebrows at me. Then suddenly, his smile turns into a smirk, and he winks at me, stepping minutely closer. My heart picks up double-time, and my grin slips quickly in surprise.

"Well," he says in a low tone, "I looked at her, for one. That was a big mistake in terms of my focus and even my wish to actually win."

I gasp out a small, shy laugh at his compliment before promptly drowning in his sparkling ocean eyes. We stand, staring at each other for who knows how long, lost in each other and the emotions sparking in the moment.

"Cassie! Danny! You coming?"

We each jump slightly before turning to Helia, who had called us and who is currently smirking knowingly. Trying not to smile in response, I gesture to him subtly, indicating Riven and his potential reaction if he saw Helia's smile. Helia's shoulders shake slightly as he laughs quietly before turning away from us and starting a casual-looking conversation with Brandon.

Danny chuckles breathlessly before shaking his head a little, as if trying to clear it. He runs his hand over his face before glancing at me sideways again, looking completely mischievous.

"See what I mean?" he says, starting to walk past me to the others. "Completely detrimental to concentration."

ЖЖЖ

After the tournament, Helia invites Danny up to Timmy's room, where we kicked back last night, and so Riven can't disagree without being rude. The smirks on Danny's and Helia's faces tell me they know this, too, and I grin at Helia, silently thanking him. Danny accepts, and we all meet in Timmy's room once the guys have changed.

The rest of what is left of the tournament day and a good deal of the next are spent helping each other with the homework – although I didn't need help, of course. We all engage in interesting discussion or even friendly debate as to which moves worked in which situations and if/how they could be done better. It's pretty fun, especially when talking about the final battle between me and Danny; it's interesting to hear what the guys have to say about each of our fighting techniques and styles, seeing as we were fairly evenly matched.

Eventually though, on the second night – the night before I leave for Alfea – we all decide that we've definitely worked hard enough on those pieces of work, and go our separate ways to bed. Seeing as there isn't a spare bed in Riven's room, I insist that I make my way back to the hospital wing, and my brother concedes after I remind him that I'd be a lot more comfortable in a proper bed.

When I get back, however, apparently comfort has no effect on my effort to sleep; I can't stop thinking about tomorrow and how scary it'll be to go to Alfea. I'm a disabled fairy among some of the best, especially since I'll probably be hanging out with the Winx. What happens if, after they realise I'm crap at practicals and demonstrations, they ditch me? I'll be able to tell the students who are aiming for Enchantix the theory of it all, but if they ask for a demo, I'm screwed. Even if Riven tells everyone, _**swears**_ to them, that I'm an Enchantix fairy, they won't have the proof of it. They'll whisper about me in the canteen: _"Hey, look, there's the useless fairy." "She's probably never achieved Enchantix, no matter what she says." "Can you imagine if she gets into a real fight? She wouldn't last a second." "Jeez, have you met anyone more pathetic?"_

Emitting some kind of cross between a groan and a snarl, I launch myself out of bed and begin pacing the width of the hospital wing, travelling from one row of beds to the other and back again while staring furiously at the floor as similar thoughts continue to wreak havoc in my head.

On one pass back to my bed's side, a dash of light makes me look up, and I stop in my tracks. The window. I'd forgotten all about the window. Now, in the cover of night, the forest has gone. But in its place is a world of unknown blindness, mysterious and possibly frightening land. But above this sheet of blackness sits another more purple one; the sky is…so _**open**_ somehow. The darkness of the forest does seem to stretch out as far as the eye can see, but there's something infinite about the sky. The stars boast of their distance and power, but gently, as if acting as role-models and support: _look what we've become. We give light even in all this darkness._

And the moon; it's only a thin sliver, which is why the forest looks so dark, but that thin sliver is like a cut in the sky. The potentially smothering blanket that has fallen over the word is cut, and it shows that there is a way out. Something beyond. A hope for better.

Needing that hope to be closer to me – closer than it is now, even as I suddenly find myself pressed against the glass – I stride decisively out of the hospital wing, through the corridors to a balcony outside, round the front of the academy. I breathe a sigh of relief as the fresh air hits my lungs, not cold at all, and I lean against the balcony, simply staring up at the marvel spread out before me.

"That's one of the awesome things about Red Fountain; the views are spectacular in all weathers and times of the day."

Startled by the soft voice, I jump and whirl around, searching for the source. It emits a familiar chuckle.

"I'm up here, Cassie."

Glancing up as instructed, I blink in surprise then grin at the smiling face of Danny, peeking over the edge of the slanted tiled roof, above and behind me.

"What are you doing up there?" I laugh.

He shrugs carelessly. "I usually come out here when I can't sleep, and from up here you can see even further. Come on; there's room for two."

I laugh again before studying the ten-foot wall up to the edge of the tiles.

"You need help up?" Danny says cautiously, suspecting that I don't but wanting to be chivalrous. What a gentleman.

"No, I'm okay, thanks," I say cheerfully.

Glancing quickly at the roof again, I rush forward towards the corner, springing up before kicking one foot off one wall, then the other foot off the other wall, effectively walking up the wall. Within five steps, the roof's in reach, and I kick off again with my arms outstretched, almost in a flying position, before my hands grasp the edge. I quickly swing my feet forward to stop my body colliding with the wall. After that, it's no effort to lift myself up onto the roof.

Once I'm comfortable, I throw a casual but proud grin at Danny, which he returns.

"Nicely done," he says.

"Thanks," I smirk, mentally punching the air in success as I impressed him.

A few more seconds to get comfortable pass before I initiate conversation. "So what brings you up here?"

He shrugs again. "My little brother's getting the results for one of his exams tomorrow; I can't sleep with all the excitement."

"What, you don't think he can do it?" I ask, confused.

"Oh, no, I definitely know he's done really well. Excitement or nervousness is just part of the job description of 'waiting for results'."

I laugh. "You're not even the one who's getting the results. Imagine how your brother feels, if _**you're**_ this nervous!"

Danny chuckles but shrugs once again, staring out into the stars. "I look after my family and friends, and if that means sitting up all night with the same nervousness they can feel, so be it."

All joking gone, I beam at his profile in sheer happiness for the love for his family that's so evident, remembering all the times when Riven and I would stay up together to distract each other from the dreaded results the next day.

"How old's your brother?" I ask, attempting to put Danny and his brother into a similar scene in my head.

Danny grins, still looking at the sky. "Connor's fourteen."

My smile widens as I picture many different situations in the life of these two brothers; Danny playing with Connor when he's still a baby or toddler, the two of them playing sports together, helping each other when they're hurt, emotionally or physically….

"So that's my excuse for not being tucked up right now," Danny continues, jerking me out of my daydream. "What's yours?"

Turning to stare into his eyes that are suddenly looking back at me, I swallow and frown automatically, the thoughts of a few minutes ago flooding my mind once again. I quickly hide my face from Danny as my insecurities make their reappearance.

"Hey," he says quietly, his tone making his surprise, confusion and sympathy clear. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to upset you."

I duck my head further, cursing myself for even coming out here. After a few seconds, Danny makes a noise.

"Ahh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to pry either. There's obviously something that's upsetting you, but if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I just…want to help you, and…want to make you feel like smiling again."

I gasp quietly and turn rapidly to stare at Danny in awe. He smiles back sadly, the anguish and desperation in his eyes almost painful to witness.

"It's only been gone a few seconds," he continues, his voice barely disturbing the night, "but I already miss your smile. And I vow to hate anything that makes it disappear. Even if that's me."

My eyes prick and burn as I try to suppress my tears; this young man here wants to know what's upsetting me, not because he wants to spread rumours, but because he wants to comfort me in the best way possible. Because he wants to see me smile again.

_Once you tell him, he might start the rumours, though,_ a pessimistic cynic inside me says, and I drop my head in shame and depression again.

"You don't deserve anyone's hate, let alone your own," I argue. "But if you mean your vow, then the only object or person that needs to be hated right now is me; no one else is to blame for this but me."

"Impossible," Danny replies immediately, and I look back at his intense expression. "Even if you've done something really horrible, something so incredibly terrible – which, in my view, is impossible – I would still never be able to hate you."

The sincerity in his eyes both breaks and mends my heart; he doesn't know what he's dealing with, so he might change his mind once he has all the details, and yet right now he's so willing to help me, and so adamant and sure that nothing I say to him is going to change his opinion of me.

I make a decision to go for broke, but stumble over finding a way to start it.

"Well," I begin, looking down again. "It's…um…it's not so much…what I've done. It's…it's what I can't do."

Confusion flashes across Danny's face for a split second before it disappears into a politely and gently curious look. I suppress a smile; he's controlling himself again, making me feel comfortable and relaxed rather than pressured. He really is wonderful.

"Can you be my voice in the dark?" I say suddenly, gaining inspiration from memories.

Danny blinks in bemusement. "What?"

I laugh self-consciously, realising that my request would mean nothing to him. "It's something my brother and I used to do; if there was something we wanted to tell the other but were too scared of their reaction or too nervous to reveal something about us, we'd ask the other to be our voice in the dark. We used to go outside at night-time, anywhere we could – the roof, the garden, a rock pool we found – and we used to lie down, so we could only hear the other's voice and not see anything but the night sky."

By the end of my explanation, Danny is grinning. "That's an awesome idea," he laughs quietly. "I'd be glad to be an addition to the voices in the dark."

So we both lie down on the roof, and I marvel at the celestial display in front of me. Their beauty calms me once again, and I begin.

"It's just…." I sigh, suddenly weary and needing someone else to dump this weight on. "I used to be a fairy. A damn good one. And now I've lost my powers. Well, not really; I just can't use them without suffering through agony afterwards."

The horrified silence is expected, as is the almost tangible confusion. Staring into the endless velvet sky dotted with stars, but battling with the urge to look at Danny, I retell the same story and explanation Riven gave his friends and I gave Stella. Again, everything about it; my incredible power at first, the wizards' attack, the detrimental effect on my magic and the new side-effect of its use, and how I'm just staying here for a short time and therefore how I'm moving to Alfea tomorrow morning, and my fear of other people finding out this and judging me on my complete lack of ability.

"Let's face it," I continue, "I'll be surrounded by fairies aspiring for Enchantix, which is the level I was at before all this. If I'm going to be one of the teachers with the Winx, I can dish out all the theory they need, but if they ask for a demo, I'm screwed. When they see that I keep handing that responsibility over to the other girls, they'll think I'm not really a fairy at all, like I'm faking it or something. I'll be called a liar and a pathetic weakling, and apparently that would be too much for the Cestanne pride."

"Hey," a familiar voice rebukes from beside me, "no pathetic weakling can be joint champion of a Red Fountain tournament. If they do start to say mean stuff about you, challenge them to a no-magic fight."

Half-smiling, I huff out a laugh through my nose, but phantom insults still ring in my ears.

"Listen," the voice returns, quieter, more serious, "I – the voice in the dark, that is – believe that you reached that level, because I have seen your dedication and intelligence. You say that you could show them the theory but not the practical, and so they'd start saying you were useless because you can't cast a spell without hurting yourself. But once they see just how detailed and deep your explanation and understanding are of the theory, they would never question the fact that you got that through experience, nothing less. They'll surmise that something happened to you that means you can't use magic anymore, but they'll never say that you're weak."

With a jerk, I realise he's right; no one could doubt my knowledge about Enchantix, both for its achievement and later its use. There's no one who isn't a fairy of that level who could know that, certainly not to that depth.

"Yeah," I say, smiling. "I never thought about that."

"That's because your pessimism wasn't letting you," the voice replies.

Silence falls over the rooftop, and after a few minutes, Danny speaks again, varying his pitch dramatically to sound surreal.

"I am your conscience."

The contrast in mood between now and our previous conversation finishes me, and within seconds I'm giggling uncontrollably along with Danny, both of us trying to keep quiet so as not to wake up sleeping specialists. I push myself up to look at Danny's face again, our laughs subsiding after a few seconds.

"And there it is," he sighs happily, staring at my smiling face. "Mission accomplished."

I blush at both his scrutiny and compliment, before asking in a low voice: "So if this mission is accomplished, what's your next one going to be, Mr Qator?"

He grins before his expression becomes unbearably tender. "Well, that's easy: making sure it stays there."

**So, there's chapter four :) Again, sorry it's taken so long, and I'll try not to do the same with chapter five, okay? But I kind of prioritise my fanfic writing according to how many reviews I get from each, so if you want to see more, please just leave a review. It can be two words long: "Keep writing". It doesn't take too long, I promise. Thanks to all who read this and my fanfic.**

**Fly on,**

**NitnatRide**


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